Mystic Dining Room
133 Bennett Dr, Gander
(709) 651-2678
Recent Reviews
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Free breakfast included with the hotel stay. Buffet style. The server was friendly. The food was pretty standard. Not an overly large selection but also it was a Wednesday morning. Maybe weekends they have more.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
⭐ 1 Star
Very Disappointing Experience
We were unfortunately very disappointed with our visit to Mystic Dinner. We went specifically to try their entry for the 2025 Gander Burger Battle, expecting a fine-dining experience.
We ordered wine, and our server initially was very friendly and attentive. Our burgers arrived quickly. The fries were slightly undercooked, which can happen and wasn’t a major issue.
The burger itself looked promising, but the taste and texture were not. The beef and chorizo patty was dense, dry, and strangely textured, with no seasoning. The cheese wasn’t melted properly, and the sauce advertised as a pineapple sweet BBQ tasted more like a jarred Tostitos salsa. After years in restaurant management, I understand that dishes sometimes don’t come out as intended, and we approached the situation politely.
When our server asked how the food was, I gently explained that it was unfortunately dry and unseasoned, and the sauce didn’t seem correct. Her demeanor changed immediately and she became defensive, telling us that they had sold twenty of the same burgers that night as if that meant the quality couldn’t be an issue. She took the plates and walked away.
About ten minutes later, she returned with all friendliness gone and told us we could just pay for our drinks and leave, as she would remove the burgers from the bill......unless we wanted to order something else. Her tone was so unfriendly that we no longer felt comfortable staying, even though we had originally intended to order another dish. We asked for the bill she dropped the debit machine on the table without a word and never came back. We paid for our drinks and left a tip. We were left to figure out which receipt was our. No apology was ever given, no attempt to provide remediation for the situation.
Mystic Dinner needs to retrain their staff on customer service and conflict resolution.
We were polite throughout, and the way the situation was handled was unacceptable and unprofessional. What would they do with a disgruntled customer? I cant even imagine.
I genuinely had high expectations, as we’ve had enjoyable experiences at this restaurant in prior years. Unfortunately, this visit was extremely disappointing.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Price is higher than the experience is worth, but overall it is nice with adequate food.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
The restaurant was very busy. The servers handled it very well. The pea soup was very hearty, and needed a little more flavour. The mussels were excellent. We ordered the pork chops medium well....we should have ordered it medium. The seafood platter was good. The Tuscan chicken was not very good. The chicken medallions???? weee terrible. The sauce was good though.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Outdated, poor service and overpriced food.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
In Gander with my wife for a funeral. A long heavy day. We were staying at Sinbad's hotel and didn't want to go out into town to find dinner so we wandered into the lounge side of the Mystic Dining Room.
The bartender greeted us as we found a cozy table near the windows. Before long we were greeted warmly and handed menus by Susan, our cheerful waitress. I asked her what they had on tap and she recited the full beer menu by heart. We got chatting and soon she jokingly gave us permission to call her Sue.
Sue took wonderful care of us. She gave us great recommendations and the food was incredible. I had the onion soup and a moose burger; my wife had the chicken gumbo and the Tuscan chicken fettuccine. It was all fantastic.
Sue checked in with us regularly and made sure we had everything we needed. She was chatty but not nosy and made us feel totally at ease in an unfamiliar restaurant after a heavy day.
All we had wanted was a cold drink and a decent meal and we ended up leaving so happy and satisfied. Great service, great food. This will be our spot anytime we're in Gander again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
While this place does have a slightly dated vibe, it does serve good food. I have a sodium sensitivities and the staff were more than accommodating to help me find what I can have and what I can’t. Sadly though it ended up being mainly the meat options (steak and lamb) which gave me a hearty bill too.
Ate there twice during my trip. Food was delicious. Food was served hot and lots of flavor!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Absolutely the best food ? ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Miserable Food – Not recommended - Not at all what we expected from a quality restaurant!
Here is a report about our experience on Thursday, the 18th of July, 2024. Our party of 4 adults (2 senior couples) arrived before 7 pm to have a steak dinner. The Mystique dining room looked good on our cell phone and we were looking forward to a delicious and enjoyable meal...
They claim on their website: “The Mystic Dining Room offers casual dining at its finest, with an excellent wine list to complement the experience. Set in a cozy and enchanting atmosphere, guests can enjoy a blend of local and international cuisine.”
But we left VERY disappointed and upset at 9pm after not eating most of the food and returning a complete meal…
Here are the details:
First: We ordered shortly after arriving. We waited and waited and nearly left (I wish we had) until around 8:20, after more than 60 min of waiting, our food arrived.
Details of each person in our party and their experience: (Note: none of us likes to complain)
The best meal: Filet Mignon
I asked for very well done – not at all red – and as usual I explained to have it butterflied to make sure it is 100% well-done (most cooks do not enjoy cooking filet mignon that much, but that is how I like it). The meal arrived, i cut into the meat, and it was only medium done - all red in the middle. I sent it back, and it came back nearly well done – still a little pink, but I ate it, and it was tender and tasty, as was the mushroom gravy served with it. Also served with it were sliced carrots – nearly raw and broccoli – overcooked. I opted for smashed garlic potatoes as a side, and they were very piecey, dry and at best lukewarm.
Next: 8 oz New York Style Strip Steak with grit in the salad...
My husband had the 8 oz ny strip steak, he asked for it to be medium-well, and it was okay, (more medium-rare than medium-well) but the meat was very thick and very tough. Same as mine, the carrots were nearly raw but the broccoli was overcooked. He had a salad on the side, and ate some with good appetite, but then bit on sand or something gritty and stopped eating it.
My friend had the Prime Rib Steak – excessively spicy cesar salad...
The prime rib steak was okay, but tough. She noted the cold veggies and asked to have them replacec with a cesar salad. This was done, but no mention that they gave her an extremely spicy variant without telling her. It was so spicy that she couldn’t eat it although she usually doesn’t mind spicy food...
Now the WORST: her husbands 8 oz ny strip steak. (see image)
I can only say that the best part of it was that he was not charged for it after he complained and returned the plate.
He had ordered the steak to be medium-well, but not only was it extremely thick, and when he cut into it, it was not only tough, but the blood came dripping out of it - it was cooked rare at best, and he was disgusted and felt grossed out by this bloody “blob” with a very thin crust.
They offered a substitution but since we already had waited for over an hour he refused and did not eat with us this evening. So, he returned the whole plate and watched us struggle with our meals.
That said, the servers were very nice and apologetic. It seems to be a kitchen issue.
We asked for a discount, and as an added insult they gave us a whopping discount of less than $8 on an around $123 bill…(for the 2 meals of one couple) and of $6 for the one meal of the other couple...
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 3
Restaurantji Recommends
Miserable Food – Not recommended - Not at all what we expected from a quality restaurant! Here is a report about our experience on Thursday, the 18th of July, 2024. Our party of 4 adults (2 senior couples) arrived before 7 pm to have a steak dinner. The Mystique dining room looked good on our cell phone and we were looking forward to a delicious and enjoyable meal... They claim on their website: “The Mystic Dining Room offers casual dining at its finest, with an excellent wine list to complement the experience. Set in a cozy and enchanting atmosphere, guests can enjoy a blend of local and international cuisine.” But we left VERY disappointed and upset at 9pm after not eating most of the food and returning a complete meal… Here are the details: First: We ordered shortly after arriving. We waited and waited and nearly left (I wish we had) until around 8:20, after more than 60 min of waiting, our food arrived. Details of each person in our party and their experience: (Note: none of us likes to complain) The best meal: Filet Mignon I asked for very well done – not at all red – and as usual I explained to have it butterflied to make sure it is 100% well-done (most cooks do not enjoy cooking filet mignon that much, but that is how I like it). The meal arrived, i cut into the meat, and it was only medium done - all red in the middle. I sent it back, and it came back nearly well done – still a little pink, but I ate it, and it was tender and tasty, as was the mushroom gravy served with it. Also served with it were sliced carrots – nearly raw and broccoli – overcooked. I opted for smashed garlic potatoes as a side, and they were very piecey, dry and at best lukewarm. Next: 8 oz New York Style Strip Steak with grit in the salad... My husband had the 8 oz ny strip steak, he asked for it to be medium-well, and it was okay, (more medium-rare than medium-well) but the meat was very thick and very tough. Same as mine, the carrots were nearly raw but the broccoli was overcooked. He had a salad on the side, and ate some with good appetite, but then bit on sand or something gritty and stopped eating it. My friend had the Prime Rib Steak – excessively spicy cesar salad... The prime rib steak was okay, but tough. She noted the cold veggies and asked to have them replacec with a cesar salad. This was done, but no mention that they gave her an extremely spicy variant without telling her. It was so spicy that she couldn’t eat it although she usually doesn’t mind spicy food... Now the WORST: her husbands 8 oz ny strip steak. (see image) I can only say that the best part of it was that he was not charged for it after he complained and returned the plate. He had ordered the steak to be medium-well, but not only was it extremely thick, and when he cut into it, it was not only tough, but the blood came dripping out of it - it was cooked rare at best, and he was disgusted and felt grossed out by this bloody “blob” with a very thin crust. They offered a substitution but since we already had waited for over an hour he refused and did not eat with us this evening. So, he returned the whole plate and watched us struggle with our meals. That said, the servers were very nice and apologetic. It seems to be a kitchen issue. We asked for a discount, and as an added insult they gave us a whopping discount of less than $8 on an around $123 bill…(for the 2 meals of one couple) and of $6 for the one meal of the other couple...
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 4
Miserable Food – Not recommended - Not at all what we expected from a quality restaurant! Here is a report about our experience on Thursday, the 18th of July, 2024. Our party of 4 adults (2 senior couples) arrived before 7 pm to have a steak dinner. The Mystique dining room looked good on our cell phone and we were looking forward to a delicious and enjoyable meal... They claim on their website: “The Mystic Dining Room offers casual dining at its finest, with an excellent wine list to complement the experience. Set in a cozy and enchanting atmosphere, guests can enjoy a blend of local and international cuisine.” But we left VERY disappointed and upset at 9pm after not eating most of the food and returning a complete meal… Here are the details: First: We ordered shortly after arriving. We waited and waited and nearly left (I wish we had) until around 8:20, after more than 60 min of waiting, our food arrived. Details of each person in our party and their experience: (Note: none of us likes to complain) The best meal: Filet Mignon I asked for very well done – not at all red – and as usual I explained to have it butterflied to make sure it is 100% well-done (most cooks do not enjoy cooking filet mignon that much, but that is how I like it). The meal arrived, i cut into the meat, and it was only medium done - all red in the middle. I sent it back, and it came back nearly well done – still a little pink, but I ate it, and it was tender and tasty, as was the mushroom gravy served with it. Also served with it were sliced carrots – nearly raw and broccoli – overcooked. I opted for smashed garlic potatoes as a side, and they were very piecey, dry and at best lukewarm. Next: 8 oz New York Style Strip Steak with grit in the salad... My husband had the 8 oz ny strip steak, he asked for it to be medium-well, and it was okay, (more medium-rare than medium-well) but the meat was very thick and very tough. Same as mine, the carrots were nearly raw but the broccoli was overcooked. He had a salad on the side, and ate some with good appetite, but then bit on sand or something gritty and stopped eating it. My friend had the Prime Rib Steak – excessively spicy cesar salad... The prime rib steak was okay, but tough. She noted the cold veggies and asked to have them replacec with a cesar salad. This was done, but no mention that they gave her an extremely spicy variant without telling her. It was so spicy that she couldn’t eat it although she usually doesn’t mind spicy food... Now the WORST: her husbands 8 oz ny strip steak. (see image) I can only say that the best part of it was that he was not charged for it after he complained and returned the plate. He had ordered the steak to be medium-well, but not only was it extremely thick, and when he cut into it, it was not only tough, but the blood came dripping out of it - it was cooked rare at best, and he was disgusted and felt grossed out by this bloody “blob” with a very thin crust. They offered a substitution but since we already had waited for over an hour he refused and did not eat with us this evening. So, he returned the whole plate and watched us struggle with our meals. That said, the servers were very nice and apologetic. It seems to be a kitchen issue. We asked for a discount, and as an added insult they gave us a whopping discount of less than $8 on an around $123 bill…(for the 2 meals of one couple) and of $6 for the one meal of the other couple...
Two of us had the steak...it was fantastic! Tasty, tender and cooked to perfection. My Scallop appetizer was delicious, very juicy & tender as well. Another appetizer was French Onion soup. It looked delicious, very cheesy. Other people with me tried the chicken fettuccine. One found it great while the other person found chef was too generous with the thyme. (Their least favorite herb) Service was great as well. Very attentive. I was surprised there were no table cloths for dinner session as there is for breakfast. Also, as far as atmosphere goes, I would suggest it's time for a spruce up....especially the tired carpeting.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
We had a very friendly person serving us. Their breakfast menu is small and to the point. Sausages were wonderful, and so were the hashbrowns. Their omwich is the best dish of the menu.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Excellent customer service and fantastic food! We have never been disappointed, it's always reliable on quality, taste and customer service!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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